Sad Soul
by Blackness
Summary: Judge John Deed. Jo ignores John. John loses someone important. Jo is violently raped and assulted. Will John lose the other person he loves?


Jo had been away from the court. The death of Mrs Deed was kept quiet due to its unusual nature. She had ignored John's calls all week, spending her time with Marc, trying to put him at the back of her mind. She arrived and saw Charlie, who looked away before disappearing into court. Jo looked around as she entered, back at work. She had escaped momentarily and was now back in the lion's den. She heard hushed whispers as she walked past people and the odd stare. It made her uneasy. She looked at the schedule for her case. She was to persuade Michael much to her relief. She entered court and saw Charlie sitting on the bench in her normal place. Her eyes cast downwards before obtaining professionalism. The case started. As they adjourned, Charlie spoke to Jo

"Nice break

"Yes, How you been?"

"Better"

"On anything I can help you with?"

"No I gotta go and see dad"

"Ahh"

"It might be worth seeing him sometime, after not returning your calls just to let him know that you might care"

"Charlie I've……"

"See you later" Charlie walked out of the courtroom.

As she was heading away the other barrister lent forward

"Excuse her, with the loss of her mother, you can't help but feel her pain"

Jo turned startled as he left. She had never liked the woman herself, too stuck up and worried about money but John, well (S). She hurried off to see him, as she neared she saw Coope

"Is he…"

"His having lunch with his daughter"

"OK…."

"It's none of my business to interfere, but I am fond of John, Maybe answering a phone call might have helped."

Jo tentatively knocked on the door, she couldn't wait. She heard the familiar

"Come". She saw Charlie and John sitting round the table, eating sandwiches and drinking. They both starred when she appeared, and John remarked

"Mrs Mill's, How can I help?"

"I wanted a word with you?"

"I'm busy eating lunch with my daughter"

"Dad its OK I need to go, I've finished. Thanks for the food" She got up and kissed her dad on the cheek before coldly looking at her and leaving.

"Mrs Mill's how can I help?"

"John, I had no idea, I'm sorry"

"It's all hush hush from the media"

"Your calls…."

"You were trying to forget, I wouldn't have answered them"

"I'm sorry"

"Was their any purpose to this visit?"  
"To apoligise"

"Accepted now if you'll excuse me, I have a trial to get to"

He showed her the door. She left.

Late that night Jo was getting into her car. She had been for a drink and delayed herself. The bar was open for another half hour but she needed to get home. She went to fetch her car keys, and then dropped them in the floor. She bent down to pick them up. She didn't hear the movement behind her, or have time to scream, as she was grabbed from behind with a hand over mouth, and a sharp object in her back

"Move woman!"

Forced to do nothing else, she moved and he dragged her over to the space between the buildings, there was no camera or guard, and the music would muffle any noise. Not that he took any chances, he gagged her. Pinning her down he looked in her eyes

"This is because you lost, you hag, now your get what's coming to you"

He ripped her shirt button, and forcefully stuck his hand between her legs, removing the underwear. He pulled her skirt down. He next ripped her bra off exposing her chest to the cold night air, and started playing with her flesh like an animal trying to tear it. The loose waistband making it easier. She struggled before she was brutally raped. He looked satisfied before slapping her across the face. He then slit her wrists weakening her body and her mind before raping her again. She had blacked out by this point. He dragged her down the alley before discarding her body and slipping silently into the night. She came to later, groaning in pain looking around confused. John had just left the digs. He had asked Steven that she could leave on his own. Steven had agreed under the terms that no one would find out about this. As John left he heard a shuffle down the alley near his car. Curious he noticed Jo's car was still there despite her leaving. He asked the doorman if she had left and he confirmed it. He turned in the torch from his hone as he looked at the car and noticed the stones were uneven before noticing Jo's keys. Now he was worried. When he heard the shuffle down the alley again, he decided to investigate. What he saw shocked him and made his blood run cold. Jo was laying their still, almost out of it with her clothing ripped and blood coming from her wrists. The gag around her neck and the shaking of her exposed body to the cold. He was about to get help when he heard her faintly say

"John, Don't…" Guessing what he was going to do.

He rushed over to her

"Jo what happened, oh my god"

First her wrists. He took off the gag noticing that she flinched when he removed it but he ripped it and put it around her wrists to stop the bleeding. He then picked up her body, she didn't resist. She knew the moment he touched her she would be safe. He cradled her body and carried it to his car. He placed her in the back seat and drove to her place. She muttered something. He wanted to get her to hospital but she wouldn't allow it. She spoke briefly

"We can't go back to mine, or yours, the kids and Marc…"

"Marc away, kids at grandmothers, house empty"

John needed no encouragement. Calling to his lodgings to say he wouldn't be in tonight he drove Jo to hers. By the time they were their, Jo was awake but groggy and when she tried to stand, she would have fallen had john not have caught

"It's a bad habit falling to my feet" he said in a joking manner and was rewarded with a small smile. He lifted her into the house after struggling to open it with her keys. He laid her down on the bed in her room and noticed the bleeding had stopped momentarily.

"Jo I need to remove this"

Carefully he removed her clothing placing it in a plastic bag. He dressed her a long nightly before pulling a blanket over her still trembling form. She didn't want to talk, she just wanted to curl and forget about it. John lay next to her but she moved away. Taking the hint, he left her to sleep while pondering what to do now. He stayed in the room watching her sleep. She was so tired. He was tired so her sat on the bed; slowly drifting off wondering what slime ball had did this to his Jo. He felt he had almost lost someone else he truly loved. The man could have murdered her after raping her, but decided it was better for her to live with the torment of what had happened. He was awoken to Jo's struggling form under the covers and her screams of panic made his blood run cold. He looked next to him and saw Jo tossing and turning violently like she was trying to struggle. He had to wake up. He thought about shaking her but that would scare her. He faced her and repeatedly said, It's john, you safe. Suddenly she sat up in bed, gasping, sweating and trembling. John grabbed her the moment she was awake and pulled her into his chest holding her tight. She resisted at first but having no strength she just cried in relief. John loved her so much and noticed how different she was, she was trying to be strong but simply had no energy.


End file.
